93 Z28, project: cheap thrills

[Joe 1320]

After over a month of nail biting and various problems, I finally got the title to the 93 Z that I purchased last month. I wasn't going to really dig into the car until I had the title in hand. Now that I do, let the games begin. I already swapped the wheels and tires for the 2002 chrome 17" SS wheels and 285/40s, next is to replace the worn out rear control arms with the good stockers that were pulled from the T/A long ago, then I have to tackle the oil leaks. The intake manifold leak should be pretty easy having done it a few times before, the rear main seal is going to stink. I hate pulling a transmission all the way down to the crank. There is also a cooling system leak, it appears to be the water pump gasket as the weep hole is dry. Other than those problems, there are only a few small items that don't affect the mechanical integrity..... the majority are simply appearance issues that will require a little TLC. The really impressive thing about this car is that nothing is missing. All parts appear as original and there are no speed parts or modifications of any kind...... a bone stock car (140K miles) with a new transmission and clutch, 2.73 rear, power locks, windows, cold a/c and a hardtop. It has had some paint work along with an area that the repair isn't too swift, so I'll have to dig that out and fix it right. The reminder of the car should be a nice 5 footer. You savy car guys will know what a 5 footer is....... the paint will look really good from 5+ feet away, any closer and the blemishes begin to show. Ultimately I want to keep it relatively stock, but I want to add an SS hood and the center mount exhaust from the 2002 SS. Those will be the last items added as so many other more pressing items are the priority. All of the initial test drives show this to be a stong runner with just some minor issues. I'm going to use this as a daily driver/highway cruiser and post all the resoration processes for folks to follow along if interested........

The idea with this car will be to show how it's possible to purchase a nice higher mileage f-body, do a basic home resoration of a daily driver along with fixing the issues that the previous owner simply couldn't keep up with, and end up with a good looking and solid cruiser/bruiser without breaking the bank account.

[TraceZ]

Let's see a budget breakdown.

How much did you pay for it?

How much spent in mods?

How much spent in restoration/repair?



It will be interesting to see the final number and compare that to the going rate for a really mint low mile LT1.

[Joe 1320]

Let's see a budget breakdown.

How much did you pay for it?

How much spent in mods?

How much spent in restoration/repair?



It will be interesting to see the final number and compare that to the going rate for a really mint low mile LT1.

one step ahead of you Tracy. I'm already figuring the budget and it will be done two ways. Since many people have a car they want to get rid of but can't trade because private parties don't accept them, it can show how you can actually have the car of your desires for next to nothing. It will also show starting from scratch with everything being a cash expendature.


So far here is a rundown:

Total purchase price including taxes, etc: $2000

The low price quick sale of my high mileage 89 Cadillac Deville: $1400

My cash expense: $600





now as far as a budget of what I plan to put into it?

The whole idea is to spend as little as possible. Period. That means no high dollar wheels and tires, brand new Corsa cat backs, superchargers.... and folks get the idea. I'm going to replace defective stock parts with stock parts and put the car in as close to as new condition as possible with as little cash outlay as possible. Now once that level has been achieved, then some mods may be done with the low budget principles applied.

The first parts replaced: Rear control arms. Why? I noticed on the drive home that the car seemed to wander a little bit. I then discovered that with suble throttle inputs, the car changed it's tracking just a hair. That immediately told me that the rear control arms needed new bushings. So for $25 shipped, a pair of takeoff used lower control arms can be purchased from many individuals on the net. Those are commonly one of the first mods people do and most have the stock parts laying around and post them for sale on various classified sections.

So far that's $25 added for a total of $2025.

my cost: Still $600 because I was one of the above guys and had them in storage from doing that with my T/A. So for me, that's a freebie.

The next is stopping the oil leak from the dreaded intake manifold leak. I'll post that after I figure the cost of materials.

[Dave-S]

Sounds like an interesting project Joe. Looking forward to hearing about the progress.

[Z Ya Later]

Hey man, I've still got the parts off my 93 I've pulled off (LCAs, panhard, etc.) if you need them. And, of course, you know my e-mail if there's anything I can do to help . I'll be interested to see it when you're done. Hey, bolt-on SFCs might be a good addition too

[Joe 1320]

I've spent a few weeks pouring over the car, here are small items in need of repair:

High beam switch on column non functional.
Cruise control non functional.
Intake manifold oil leak. Fixed.... $5 and some labor.
Rear main seal oil leak. very minor occational drip.
Oil pressure switch leak. Fixed... $23 for new sensor.
Water pump gasket leak. fixed..tightened bolts.. $0.
Driver's window slightly loose.
A/C just quit blowing cold, Fixed... 1 can of r-134a.
Windshield wiper motor non functional. fixed..used motor.
Driver's door hinge worn and sags just a little bit.
Driver's seat has the typical wear on the side bolster.
Tail lights cracked and seperating. Fixed...... $50 for stock take offs.

Not sure how much of the cruise, wiper and high beams are due to the turn signal stalk and switch. I guess we'll find out.


So far, I've gone over the majority of the body with 10,000 grit aluminum oxide sanding gel. This is like an ultra-fine wetsanding. There are a couple of small areas on the passenger side that will require some bodywork, prep and paint but that will be one of the last items..... The rest of the car is looking stellar. A few coats of Z5 and it's beginning to look stellar.

I've yet to spend another dime, whatever supplies I've used were already on the shelf.

[thenuge876]

Sounds like a cool project, keep us updated with maybe a website with pictures and stuff as you undertake this endeavor. Good luck with it.

[scotts94_z28]

I wanna see pics of this thing

[Steel2686]

I'm real interested as well. My in-laws have a neighbor with a '94 Trans Am GT. He's been wanting to sell it, but hasn't put signs in it or put it in the paper yet. I was considering it for a decent weather daily driver. It's got 100K on it. Looks to be in pretty good shape. He's asking $3,000, but he'll move.

Can't wait to see your budget breakdown, Joe. Thanks for posting this.

[Joe 1320]

Add one oil pressure switch for $25.... the stocker was leaking pretty good. The intake manifold will be pulled this weekend for the dreaded intake oil leak. Cost..... a tube of silicone for $5 and perhaps intake gaskets. A few times in the past I was able to reuse the stockers. That portion rarely goes bad.

Total cost $2050.......... but my total cash outlay is $650.

[Steel2686]

Nice! You're way ahead of the game so far. Sounds like a great find up to this point.

My In-laws neighbor ended up selling his '94 T/A GT for $3,500. I thought that was way overpriced. Oh well... Grand National is next on my hit list.

Thanks again for posting this, Joe.

[Joe 1320]

Also, the A/C is now blowing cold. Added one can of R-134a that I had on the shelf. Not as cold as it could be, the compressor groans a little but for now it is working. Sooner or later it's going to fail so I'll deal with it then.

Total cost: $2050 plus a can of r-134a.... not sure what the going price on that is at the moment. I'll find out later.

[KnightFire]

Ahhhh a 93 gettin' some love....OUTSTANDING!


KnightFire

[jerrysta]

I've got a rear main seal leak too and am dreading the day I have to fix it.....or pay for it!

[Joe 1320]

Every time I work on a car that I bought used, I am amazed at what I find. No wonder the intake manifold leaked oil. First, the bolts weren't even tight. Second, I don't know what the heck someone used to seal the front and the rear of the manifold, but I've never seen tan colored silicone. I think they must have used not high temp clear and the oil turned it tan. I was definately leaking. In any case, the main gaskets were fine, I redid the silicone using high temp black and layed a nice thick bead. It is setting up as I type. I should have it done by dinner. I found a few vacuum hoses that were cracked..... I'll need to search for the part numbers as these are molded elbows. Why people can't do the job right is beyond me. It's not that hard.

Edit: The car was bolted back together by 3:00 pm. Total time including breaks, 2½ hours. A twist of the key and the car fired, but I immeditaly shut it down to let the silicone cure for 24 hours to prevent blowout. The reason i was able to do it so quickly is that I've got the proceedure down having done it several times on other cars in the past. Best guess is that for the avverage person it would take about 4 hours. Anyone know what the manual says?